Forbidden Love
by Ignis Fulmen
Summary: A few months after the end of the Second Lopto Empire, Julia finds herself serving her royal duties as the Imperial Princess of Grannvale. To make matters worse for Julia, Lana comes to visit only days before Erasmus Day, and she seems intent on bending Julia to her will. Tempers and jealousies arise as Julia preapres to fight a battle that is seemingly only in her mind...
1. Chapter 1

[The cover image was drawn by Bamb(祥竹:苺とか）of Pixiv.]

I am disturbed from my sleep by the calls of a maid.

"Lady Julia, please, wake up!" The maid repeatedly calls my name as she moves around the room.

I slowly rise up from my bed, taking off the silky purple covers as I bring my feet to the side of the mattress.

"Is it important?" I ask the maid grouchily.

"Yes, my lady. Emperor Seliph has been asking of your whereabouts all morning." The maid speaks in an exasperated manner, which makes me feel a little guilty for giving her a hard time.

"I suppose we can't keep the Emperor waiting then."

Suddenly, I was blinded by harsh sunlight as the maid pulled the curtains open. It took a few minutes for my eyes to completely adjust to the change in brightness of the room.

"Wh-What time is it?" I question her, albeit a little hesitantly.

"Just past noon, my lady."

 _That means I've missed the council meeting_. _Seliph would be so disappointed…_

I make a mental note to slap myself later. So far, I was not doing a great job of being the Emperor's advisor. I look around the room and notice that the maid had packed away my clothes from the night before, as well as a fresh pair of mauve flowers by my bedside. I lean in closer to them and my nostrils expand in a gentle whiff.

 _They smell just like Mother…_

I take a sorrowful sigh as I finally get out of my bed. The maid walks over with a brush to fix up my tangled hair, but I wave my arm to the side as I gesture for her to not worry about it.

"It's alright, I can manage myself from here. Thank you…"

The maid does a polite bow before she walks out. I walk across the room to my bathroom and almost yelp in terror when I see my reflection in the mirror. Dark bags are apparent under my violet eyes, and my silver hair looks like I had let a horse munch on it for hours on end.

"This won't do at all."

I take a brush from one of the drawers and I force it through my tangled hair. After what feels like three days of brushing (but was probably closer to ten minutes), I have my hair in a presentable manner. I put a few clips in it to keep my fringe off my face, which then I wash with soapy water. Then, I walk to my wardrobe to pick out a dress to wear.

 _Well, Seliph seems to be fond of the colour blue…_

I take a deep blue dress with golden cuffs and change into it. Finally, I do one more look over in the mirror to make sure that I 'm not forgetting anything, and I head out of my room and towards Seliph's office, where he usually holds his official meetings.

Many servants and nobles greet me as I walk through the corridors, which are draped with cloth bearing the insignia of the royal family. At first, I was very overwhelmed by all of the attention I received as the imperial princess of Grannvale, but I have since then learned how to control my nerves and act more confident in myself. Unfortunately for me, the Emperor's office was almost completely to the opposite side of my bedroom in Belhalla Castle, which means that I will be greeting quite a few people on my way. Finally, I arrive at the big wooden doors leading into his office, and I knock gently.

"Come in." Seliph's voice calls from the other side of the door.

I resist the urge to slap my forehead in shame.

 _How many times do I need to tell you, Seliph? You can't be so informal as the Emperor…_

I open the door and walk in. All of the walls in the room were filled with bookshelves, containing texts that covered everything that an Emperor of Grannvale could need; from the history of the continent to the laws and regulations of the (former) barbaric state of Verdane. Towards the back of the room, I could see the Emperor, in his usual white and gold robes, sitting at a desk filled with paperwork. He was holding a piece of paper in one hand, and his head in the other. It seems like he was reading something of great importance…

"You sent for me, Emperor Seliph?" Setting an example for Seliph, I speak in the most formal manner I can muster.

Of course, Seliph being Seliph, he greets me in the most casual way possible.

"Hey sis!"

He puts the paper down and gets up from the table to greet me with a hug. His moderately long hair flows behind him as he moves towards me, and his eyes, the same shade of deep blue as his hair, seem to twinkle a little bit. He wraps his arms around me with his slender, but firm, hands. I admit, his touch still gives me goosebumps… To which, he is completely oblivious about too.

 _At least, I think he's oblivious…_

Sometimes, I wonder if Seliph purposely acts ignorant about our history so that he can forget he slept with his half-sister. In his defence, and my own, neither of us had the faintest clue that we had the same mother. While I know that it is wrong of me to want my half-brother, I can't help but think of the times we spent together when I feel lonely.

"…Sister, are you listening?" Seliph asks as he looks at me, a little worried.

During my ever-present daily conflict with my morals, I had zoned out so much that I didn't realise Seliph was talking to me.

"S-Sorry?" I stumble.

Seliph only sighs and releases me from his embrace. He sits back at his desk, and gestures for me to sit in the chair in front of it.

"I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something."

He hands me the piece of paper that he was reading. Before I look at it, I speak in a tired tone.

"This isn't another recipe you need help with, is it?"

Once, Seliph had made me look at a recipe for a dessert, of his own creation, to make sure that it wouldn't give the consumer food poisoning (which he managed to do with a previous recipe). He had wanted to perfect it so he could impress Lana at dinner that night.

 _If only he'd love me again like he loves her…_

Seliph opens his mouth likes he wants to argue with me, but then he slumps in defeat.

"Just read it, please."

I skim over the page in front of me.

 _Blah blah blah 'free speech' blah blah blah 'legacy' blah bl- What?!_

I place the piece of paper down on the desk and I look at Seliph unbelievably.

"Seliph… You want to legalise same sex marriage?" I call out in shock.

Seliph leans back in his chair.

"Yes I do. Is there a problem?" Seliph speaks calmly.

" _Is there a problem?_!" I repeat after him, unsure if he is truly ignorant to the effect such a matter will have on the nation. "Yes, there is a problem. The people of Grannvale will demand your head on a plate if you tried to pass this legislation through! For your own safety, I can't let you do this."

The only reaction I get from Seliph is a small smile, and I immediately know that I'm about to lose the argument.

"Actually, my dear sister Julia, I spoke to my public advisor about this beforehand. After organising a state-wide survey, he found that _eighty-seven_ percent of the citizens of Grannvale, including the Duchies of the state, mind you, will support this law. It seems that after the tyranny of the Lopto Empire, people have a little more room for love in their hearts."

"I see…" I say slowly.

 _Even the Duchies?! The world seems to be moving so fast, and here I am, stuck in the past._

"But I still want your opinion before I finalise the document. So, tell me: what do you think?"

My thoughts still race through my head as to what this could mean for Grannvale and the whole of Jugdral, but I can't see any reason to refute the legislation if the population wants it.

"…You'll have Naga's blessings, as well as my own." I finally proclaim.

"Excellent!" Seliph beams rather excitingly. "Now, all I need to is to officially approve it and set a date to announce it to the public."

He takes the document back and gets ready to stamp it with the Royal Seal.

"I think that-" Seliph is interrupted by a knock on the door.

I look towards the door, and I make out a familiar face as it widens open.

"Seliph! Julia!"

A woman about the same height as I am runs into the room towards us.

"Lana!" Seliph calls out to her in joy.

She runs up to Seliph first and greets him with a kiss on the cheek, which makes Seliph blush slightly. Then she comes up to me and gives me a tight hug, her orange, wool-like hair tickling my nose and forcing me to giggle.

"It's been a while, Lana." I say to her, rather sadly.

Ever since Lana and her older brother, Lester, took up their positions as the Duke and Duchess of Jungby, I've been seeing them less and less outside of official business. I can't help but feel a little regret in not being able to spend more time with Lana.

"I know! We have so much to catch up on!" Lana takes my hands and is about to drag me out of the room, but then she stops halfway and turns around to Seliph.

"You _are_ finished here, right?" Lana asks Seliph. "Because I kinda want to take Julia with me, and Lester is kinda looking for an audience with you. As soon as he's finished unloading our bags, of course."

I imagine Lana bossing around Lester, and I realise what Seliph sees in her.

 _She's a lot like me…_

"You came just in time. Go on, have fun." Seliph's blush increases just a little bit more.

 _I wonder when they are going to 'officially' tell me that they're dating._

Lana smiles in delight, and continues to pull me along out of the room and back into the castle corridors.

"So tell me… How've you been, Julia?" Lana says as she loops her arms through mine.

 _She was never one to shy away from physical contact…_

"Busy. Very busy. I can't remember the last time I had just a chance to go shopping for my own clothes."

I also can't remember the last time I had the chance to sleep early, but I don't share that with Lana, or she will _seriously_ start to worry. When I look towards her for her reply, she seems to be only smiling.

"…Have I got something on my face?" I ask her quietly.

"What?" Lana snaps out of whatever she's thinking, and she looks at me a little apologetically. "N-No, I wasn't smiling because of that! I mean I was… But…"

She stops herself and takes a deep breath.

"Since you've been so busy and all, I was thinking that there's _no way_ you could refuse a vacation! I have just the thing in mind, too."

Before Lana gets any further, I decide to cut her off.

"Wait a moment, a vacation?! I'm sorry, Lana, but I'll have to refuse…"

"Why?!" Lana's tone is a little hurt.

"Because I have duties to attend to! I cannot abandon my responsibilities so I could frolic around at…wherever you're planning to take us."

"See, you don't even know what I was going to say! Just hear me out. I promise, you'll like it."

"…Alright, tell me: what's your plan?"

Lana's face is more cheerful once again. Her eyes seem to shine in delight as she prepares to tell me what she's thinking.

"In honour of the return of Erasmus Day, the priest-"

I interrupt Lana again, almost without realising it.

"Erasmus Day?" I ask her, a little mystified.

She rolls her eyes at me as the conversation goes off topic once more.

"Before the rise of the First Lopto Empire, the citizens of Jugdral used to take part in a celebration called 'Erasmus Day'. Saint Erasmus was a priest of Naga who had travelled all over the continent and spread the message of love. Not only that, but legends say that he was so powerful that he could channel Naga's power using _only_ his wooden walking stick."

 _Like I can, with the Book of Naga…_

"But I thought that Saint Heim was the first person in our history to make the blood pact with Naga. How could…Saint Erasmus…channel her power?"

Lana just shrugs.

"It's called a 'legend' for a reason, silly! Anyway, Emperor Seliph decided to bring back the celebration starting this year. The royal heralds have announced that it will be held on the fourteenth of Yurbraef on the Gran calendar. Considering how significant Saint Erasmus is to the history of the Order of Naga, I'm surprised that Seliph didn't tell you…" Lana's voice goes quiet as she says the last sentence.

 _So am I…_

"Anyway, back on topic…" Lana continues. "The priestesses of Naga have decided to organize a pilgrimage for everyone who would like to travel on the same path that Saint Erasmus did all those years ago, which, by the way, I _really_ want to do. I was hoping that you would like to come along; I wouldn't mind a priestess of my own for the journey…"

Lana looks towards me with a silly grin on her face. I've found that the way Lana thinks is that 'the friends on the journey are more important than the journey itself', so I'm not surprised by her proposal at all. I wait for a few more seconds before I make up my mind.

"Lana, I can't go. I really do have too many responsibilities. Can you _imagine_ how much chaos the kingdom will fall into without anyone to moderate Seliph's actions?"

I say that without a hint of exaggeration. If Seliph is left to his own devices, it is almost definite that he will use all of the royal family's money to build shelters for trees 'so they don't get sunburnt'. The expression that Lana gives me seems to only prove what I just said.

"Okay, now you're just making excuses."

Lana seems determined to change my mind, and that means I'm in for a _long_ argument.

"I am _not_ making excuses!" I can hear the anger starting to rise in my own voice.

Lana let go of my arm, and we both stop in the middle of the corridor as we turn to face each other.

"Yes, you _are_ making excuses!" Lana's voice became louder to match the ferocity in my own. "Ever since that gods-awful war, you've been working day and night by Seliph's side. When was the last time you came to visit me at Jungby Castle? When was the last time you even left _this_ castle?!"

I remain quiet. I honestly can't answer her question…

"Julia…" Lana's tone is more gentle now. Her hand moves to my upper arm. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. No one else in the Liberation Army has suffered as much as you have. You need time to heal, Julia. Please… If you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for your family. Do it for…Seliph…"

' _Do it for Seliph'… I see it now._

"You're just jealous that I spend more time with Seliph than you do!" I snap at Lana.

A small voice in my mind was telling me to stop before it was too late, but Lana had brought up my dead family members _and_ Seliph. I'm not in the mood to tolerate any more of her garbage.

" _What_?!" Her incredulous voice pierces through the air. "Th-That's not true! I- Wait, Julia!"

I start to walk away before I let her finish talking. I'm interested in her lies anymore.

"I-I'm not going to give up!" Lana's voice calls hopelessly behind me.

 _But you will. Soon…_

I start walking towards my office. It was well past midday, and I haven't started sifting through any of the documents that would inevitably be waiting for me on my desk. I can feel my temper slowly rising as I play the argument with Lana in my head again and again. It isn't that I am angry at Lana herself, it's the fact that Seliph and her still refuses to tell me that they're dating.

 _She takes me for an idiot… She thinks I don't know what's going on between them._

I arrive at my office and I walk in as I look around the room. Everything is in the same place where I had left it last night; the papers I have to sort through are still on my desk, the gifts that nobles brought me are still sitting in the corner of the room, and the countless empty platters of food that the maids had brought me over a week ago are still on the floor beside my desk. The maids did offer me to clean up the mess whenever they came, but I refused them all. I'm too scared that a maid's lack of attention to detail may cause an important document to be lost. I sit down on my desk and get to work straight away.


	2. Chapter 2

As the sun begins to set, I put the last food platter on top of the pile of other empty platters.

 _I can't believe it…_

Strangely, I had managed to finish sorting through the documents, relocate the gifts, _and_ stack the empty plates next to the door, where the maids can take them without disturbing my (now nonexistent, but bound to reappear) work pile. All before the day was out, too.

 _Perhaps this is a good sign? After all, I_ did _deserve a good ending to my terrible day._

Satisfied with myself, I feel my exhaustion begin taking over me. I walk back to my bedroom and take a relaxing bath, before changing into my nightgown and sliding into my bed. My eyes begin to drift to sleep as I can't help but think to myself that tomorrow is going to be a good day. How wrong I was…

I wake up just as the sun starts to rise with a big smile on my face. For the first time in months, I feel the effect of a full night's rest on the body, and dear Naga, am I in _such_ a great mood. I hop out of my bed and open the curtains, taking in the beautiful view of sunrise. As it starts to hurt to look at the sun, I walk away from the window and get ready for another day of work. Today, I felt like wearing my favourite dress, which was the colour of violet with silver embroidery around the wrists and the neck of the clothing. I walk to my office once more and open the doors of my office, and my heart almost sinks through my body and deep into the ground.

"Lester?!" I say his name in annoyance.

 _He's probably here to scold me for upsetting his sister._

Lester looks up from the desk in front of him, and he shoots me a brilliant white smile. His hair, as per usual, is combed back. However, it was a bit shorter than I remember it. I start to have doubts about his visit when I notice _where_ he's sitting.

"Why are you sitting in my chair?" My tone is rather bitter.

He just shakes his head. I've found it that it is quite hard to break Lester's cool composure, much unlike his sister.

"Not even a 'good morning', my princess? Ah well, it doesn't matter." He looks back to the papers on his desk as he talks.

"Don't avoid my question! And those are confidential papers you're reading through!"

"I know that, and it's my job to make sure they _remain_ confidential."

He looks up to me again, and I start to get worried.

 _But that's_ my _job…_

"Wh-What do you mean?" My voice becomes hesitant as I speak.

"Emperor Seliph has decreed that I will take on the responsibilities of the 'Imperial Princess, Julia' until further notice." His tone sounds like he was reading his words off a piece of paper, which he only confirms when he says: "It's written right there on the paper signed by His Majesty himself."

Lester points to a document on the end of the table. I pick it up with a shaky hand, and I see that everything he said is true. I remain standing where I am, unable to comprehend anything that's going on. Finally, Lester sighs as he continues speaking.

"Look, I will be honest with you, Julia. I didn't want this job. Lana and Seliph convinced me to do it. They are both worried about you, and frankly, so am I." He waits a few moments to let it sink in, then he continues. "I think that pilgrimage will do you good."

"Pilgrimage…?" I ask quietly.

"In honour of Saint Erasmus. I thought Lana told you?"

 _I've completely forgotten… How could I be so stupid?!_

"You should start packing. Erasmus Day is tomorrow, and the priestesses want to leave by first light."

"Noted…" I say coldly.

I walk out of the room feeling like someone stuck a knife in my back and twisted it.

 _Seliph agreed to this too? That scheming little witch…_

I make a beeline straight for Seliph's office. Suddenly, I can feel all of my anger from yesterday rising again and more. I've had enough of this. Lana has violated multiple boundaries, and it is time for her to stop. I storm into his office, and the quiet chatter between him and Lana dies down quickly.

 _She's here too. Perfect._

"SELIPH!" I yell across the room as I stomp towards his desk. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Good morning, Julia…" Seliph keeps his voice even.

He slowly rises from his chair, and Lana does the same.

"I take it that you've already spoken to Lester?" He adds a little timidly.

"Yes, I've spoken to Lester. Are you out of your mind?!"

Somehow, Lana finds the courage to speak.

"Wait, Julia. It was my idea! Seliph-"

"And _you_ , I've got a bone to pick with you." I turn my attention to Lana now, who somehow manages to shrink a little under my gaze.

"I-"

"Why are you doing this to me?! Am I a threat to you? Am I endangering your power?"

"What do you mean?! I-"

"I let you have Seliph! It hurts me, every time, when I see you together, but I let you be happy! When you two get married, you'll become Empress, but that was never enough, was it?! You wanted to drag me down so that you can have complete control over the empire. That's why you got your brother to replace me! That's why you tried to get me to go on this stupid trip with you! So you could slowly take my life away from me without even knowing it! You… You're…"

"Julia, stop it." Seliph tries to interrupt the one-sided argument, but I am long past the state of being reasoned with.

Lana stood there, shrinking further and further into herself as she takes my endless tirade of accusations. Finally, not being able to hold it in anymore, I burst.

"Sniveling, two-faced, daughter of a whore! GET OUT!"

"JULIA, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Seliph slams his hands on the table.

I couldn't help but flinch. It's been a _very_ long time since I've seen Seliph get so angry. I look back up at Lana, and I realise that her head is faced down, with tears falling from her face like a pair of waterfalls.

 _I can't feel guilty… She deserved it… Didn't she?_

Seliph turns his attention back to Lana, but not before giving me a death glare.

"Please Lana, don't-"

Lana runs out of the room before Seliph finishes, her sobs echoing behind her. I lower my own head in shame.

"…I thought you were supposed to be the smart one out of us." Seliph speaks coldly.

I decide not to dispute Seliph. I didn't want to anger him any further with more stupid words coming out of my mouth.

"Julia, you're an _idiot_! Not only did you just ruin the solid relations between Belhalla and Jungby, but you also _destroyed_ the friendship with one of your closest friends! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

"…No, my lord…" I knew that now was not the best time for informalities.

Now Seliph is the one who is on a roll, and he isn't going to let me get off that easily.

"And for the last time, Lana and I are _not_ dating!"

"But…" I mutter as I talk. "You two…spend so much time together…"

"Because I've known her since before I could walk! She's like the second sister I've never had…"

I stay quiet. There is nothing more for me to gain by questioning Seliph further. We both sit there in pure silence for a few more minutes, which causes me to almost sigh in relief when a royal herald enters the room.

"We're having a private meeting." Seliph tells the herald before he can get further.

"But my lord, Princess Larcei of Isaach is here." The herald continues.

"Larcei?!" Seliph almost jumps out of his boots. "Where is she?"

"Waiting for you at the castle gates, my lord. And she also gave me…a message."

"Which is…?" Seliph sounds like an eager puppy about to be given a toy by his master.

The herald hesitates a little bit before he continues.

"She says… 'Hurry up and come down here. My ass cheeks aren't going to wait for your girly hands forever, you know?'"

Despite the situation that I was in, I couldn't help but giggle to myself as the herald delivers the message. Seliph's face turns a deep shade of red.

"I'll… I'll be coming down in a minute." Seliph replies quickly.

The herald bows and walks out.

"…You…and Larcei? When did this happen?!"

Seliph's blush dies down a little, and he looks at me again.

"A few months ago, when she and her brother came to sign the peace treaty between Grannvale and Isaach. We've been writing to each other since, and I promised to take her out for Erasmus Day. In fact, I was asking for Lana for some advice on the matter, before you walked in without warning."

"Oh…" My voice goes quiet again.

"…It's probably not my place to tell you, but considering you fucked up so tremendously that even _I_ am impressed, I think you should know…" Seliph takes a deep breath. "The reason Lana did all of those things for you is because she's ' _madly_ in love' with you. She always has been, even before when you and I were…together."

I feel like Seliph has just hit me in the chest with the hilt of a sword. The way that he said 'she's madly in love with you' made me certain that he isn't making it up.

 _She…loves me?!_

"Anyway," Seliph continues. "I better go and see Larcei before she decides to personally stab her sword through my heart."

Without another word, Seliph walks out of the room, leaving me lost in my thoughts, all alone.

 _She loves me…_

In a daze, I begin walking back to my bedroom.

 _How ironic… I walked here at the peak of my anger, ready to cut her tongue, and now, I'm walking back wishing that someone had cut mine._

I arrive just outside of my bedroom door, and I become further deflated when I don't see Lana anywhere in sight. Without realising it, I was hoping that I would see her here. I sigh exhaustingly and walk into my room. I move straight to my bed and lie down, even though the sun had only just risen an hour or so ago. I remain where I am, trying to process what I had just done.

 _She loves me…_

I find it weird how I'm not feeling anything inside me in light of the new information. Am I really that heartless? Maybe Seliph is right about me… I _am_ an idiot. No tears come out, because I'm not sad. I don't smile either, or it would mean that I'm happy. I am definitely not happy. I'm just…

 _Empty._

I just lay in my bed, the hours ticking by without me knowing. Suddenly, I get the urge to go to the toilet. When I get up and look out of the window, I notice that the sun had just gone down again. It only felt like minutes since I walked into my room… I walk into the bathroom and use the toilet. As I walk to the sink to wash my hands, I look into the mirror, and I see Lana's face reflected instead of mine. I blink a few times and look again, and I can only see my reflection in the mirror again.

 _Am I going crazy?_

I don't bother changing my clothes. I get into my bed once again, and even though I have a million things running through my head, my mental fatigue takes over and I fall asleep.

I dream of being stuck in an endless, black void. No matter what direction I look in, I can't find anything to guide me. I walk around in the void, and I start feeling motion sick as my eyes and my body conflict over whether I'm actually moving or not. As I'm about to give up, I see a figure in the distance with bright red hair.

"Hello? Can you help me?" I call out to the figure.

I walk closer, and I feel my heart beat faster as I start to make out the figure.

 _No… That can't be… But it is!_

I start to run towards him and I wrap my arms from around as I give him a tight hug.

"Oh Julius, I've missed you so much!" I can feel my eyes welling up as hold him even tighter.

However, I feel something is very wrong when he starts to cackle.

"Julius…?"

I let go of him and take a few steps back in horror. The man who looks like my brother turns around, and I make out his deathly features; the purple veins on his face were popping out, as were his lips, which were stuck in his cruel smile. And his eyes… His eyes were darker than the void itself.

"Loptyr." I say grimly.

 _The god who took my brother away from me…_

"'Miss me, sister?'" He says mockingly, using Julius' voice to further disorientate me.

"Get out of my head, Loptyr!" I demand loudly, my voice echoing in the emptiness.

The god only shakes his head in disappointment as he tuts.

"Silly Julia, I'm not in your head. I'm just a figment of your imagination."

His smile becomes unnaturally wide, until I realise that his jaw itself is expanding. I start running away in terror, but I only seem to be running on the spot. His jaws expand further and further, until he snaps forward. I close my eyes and accept my fate as he devours me in one bite.

…

I find the courage to open my eyes, but the view confuses me; I'm now on a grassy plain, and all of the members of Seliph's Liberation Army are standing in front of me. I feel someone's hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see a man with startling emerald eyes and a loose bandana wrapped around his hair standing behind me.

 _This was when I first met them…_

The man, whose name I remember as Lewyn, let's go of my shoulder and pushes me forward.

"This is Julia. Say hello to her, everyone."

Lewyn speaks to the group, but everyone stands in their place nervously.

 _Everyone except-_

A young girl with orange fluffy hair makes her way to the front of the group. She slowly walks towards me with a warm smile on her face.

"Julia? That's such a pretty name… I'm Lana." Lana introduces herself shyly.

I feel the heat rising in my cheeks slightly. I wasn't expecting anyone to welcome me so warmly at all.

"I like your name too, Lana." I reply timidly.

Lana just giggles and she gives me a loving hug.

"I have a feeling that we'll be the best of friends!"

The world around me seems to vaporize in an instant. I look down and see my hands floating in the air, where Lana was just standing a moment ago.

 _Why am I having dreams of the past?_

I make the mistake of blinking, and I find myself in a different scenario when I open my eyes. Now, I have my face in my hands instead as tears fall freely down my arms. I can hear heavy rain outside, and a thunderclap forces me to bring my head up for a second to make sure that lightning didn't strike my tent.

 _Wait, I remember this too! Now-_

"Julia?" A familiar voice calls outside the tent.

I look up again and see Lana walk through the entrance. The poor girl looks like she was soaked to the bone.

"Oh my gods! Julia, are you alright?!"

Lana rushes to my side and holds me in her arms. Even though she was starting to get me wet, my mind was too preoccupied to care.

"Seliph… Seliph is my half-brother! I slept with my half-brother!" I wail.

My sobs only get louder as Lana starts stroking my hair.

"It doesn't matter now…" Lana tries comforting me. "Julia, you didn't know. It's not your fault."

"But… I… I…" I try to get the words out, but I keep choking on my sobs.

 _I still love him…_

Luckily, Lana seems to understand what I'm trying to say.

"I know. I'll admit, Julia, it will take a _long_ time for you to get over him. But I know you can do it. You're a strong person Julia. Look at me!"

Lana nudges my face upwards so that I can see hers.

"You'll be fine, alright?"

Eventually, I manage to stop crying. Lana wipes my tears with her sleeve, which still isn't very dry. But I didn't mind…

"Thank you, Lana…" I say silently.

Lana only grins as she cradles my head in her arms.

"What are friends for?" She speaks gently.

I start to pass out, the image of Lana smiling over me burning into my mind and soothing my very soul.

I open my eyes again, and I find myself crying once more. I notice that I have something in my arms, and I look down. Julius' limp body was lying across my lap. Even though he is covered in blood, the smile on his face was peaceful. After a few moments, I register the fact that I am saying his name out loud over and over again.

 _The final battle against Loptyr… This is where-_

"Julia…" Lana speaks as she walks up from behind me and puts her hand on my shoulder.

"It's all over… I killed him…" My tone is dark.

"You did what you had to. I can't think of anything more-"

"I killed him! I killed my brother!" I scream into the deathly still air.

 _Everyone had already gone home. Everyone had left me… Except Lana._

Lana started speaking a little louder, and I could tell that she is only moments away from breaking down too.

"Julia, you didn't kill him. In fact, you did the opposite… Look at his face, Julia. Julius… Julius is free now. _You_ set him free. The conflicts of gods won't bother him anymore. Don't let his death mean nothing. You need to get up and get yourself together, so that no one else will ever have to live through it… It's what Julius would have wanted…"

Lana takes my hands off Julius, and she drags me to my feet. Without the will to resist her, I do everything that she pushes me to do.

"Let's go home now… So that we can _all_ put this behind us…"

Her voice didn't break, much to my surprise.

 _Lana is so much stronger than I will ever be…_

"Home… Home sounds good…" I whisper to Lana.


	3. Chapter 3

I wake up in cold sweat as I instinctively sit up in my bed. I rub my eyes gruelingly as I try to push the emotional pain that I felt in my dreams to the side, but it remains there, haunting my mind. At that moment, I feel a realisation dawning upon me.

 _I fucked up… But I can still fix this!_

It is still early morning outside, but I know that Seliph would be up already. Without bothering to fix my hair or change my clothes, I slip on my shoes and run to Seliph's quarters. I reach the door and I knock vigorously on it.

"Seliph! Seliph, open up!" I yell just loud enough for my voice to project through the door.

A few moments later, a yawning Seliph opens the eyes and looks at me drowsily. His sleeping robes are crumpled, which makes me think that his night was as restless as mine.

"What in Naga's name? Julia, it's still five in the morning. What are you-"

I push past him and enter his bedroom. He simply shrugs and closes the door behind me.

"We need to talk, Seliph." The resolution in my voice gets his attention.

He puts the piece of paper in his hand down on a nearby desk. I quickly glance at it before I look back to Seliph.

 _A speech…_

"Yes we do." Seliph replies. " _Why_ in the world does your hair look like it's been munched on by a horse?"

"What?!"

I move my hands to my hair and realise that in my rush to get here, I didn't brush it after I woke up.

"Oh, that's not important now!" I say defensively as I slide my fingers through my hair. "I just need to ask you a question, Seliph."

"Which is…?" Seliph's tone betrays the nervousness he is feeling.

"The legislation for same-sex marriage… You did that for me, didn't you?"

Seliph remains quiet for a few seconds before he speaks again.

"… Yes. While I wasn't lying about the survey, my main reason for pushing for it was for you…Julia." He speaks in a quiet manner, which was unusual for Seliph.

"But _why_ , Seliph? It's not just because I'm your sister… Is it?" I ask him, even though I have a feeling that I already know the answer.

"Well, that's part of the reason. But also… I haven't stopped loving you, Julia. You were the first love of my life, and because of that, I still have…certain feelings for you." Seliph's voice is shameful, but I didn't hold that against him.

In fact, I have waited so long to hear him say those words that now, when he did say them, they meant very little to me.

 _Of course he still feels that way… Neither of us would be able to dispel these feelings for each other during this lifetime._

"But then I found out how Lana felt about you." He continues. "And that's when I thought to myself, 'if anyone else in the world could give my sister the love she deserves, it would be Lana.'"

The mention Lana makes my heart heavy with guilt once more, but then I remember my purpose for coming here.

"Speaking of Lana… I need to know where she's staying. I need to make things right again…"

Seliph looks at me a little hopefully.

"Well, today is Erasmus Day. Which means that the pilgrims would be preparing themselves to leave with the priestesses. I heard that they will all depart when the Order of Naga sounds the city's bells."

As if on cue, I start hearing bells ringing from seemingly every direction at once.

"I think that's my cue!" I yell over the bells. "Thank you, brother…"

I walk closer to Seliph and hug him. His face only displays astonishment.

"'Brother'?"

His reaction didn't surprise me. This was the first time that I ever acknowledged him as 'brother'. I only smile gleefully as he starts pushing me out the door.

"Alright, enough of this. You better go now, before it's too late."

I nod in agreement and begin sprinting as fast as I can to the city's gates. That was my best chance of catching the pilgrims before they leave.

 _I'm coming, Lana…_

As it is still early in the morning, the corridors of the castle and the streets of the city are devoid of all living beings. However, the sheer distance that I'm running pushes my stamina to the limit. I begin seeing doubles as I reach the outskirts of the city.

"Almost…there…" I huff to myself.

As I turn into the street that leads to the city's gates, I almost break down in agony when I see thousands upon thousands of pilgrims making their way through the exits.

"No… Damnit!" I curse to myself.

With no other option available to me, I begin pushing through the crowd as I call out Lana's name.

"Lana? LANA?! Lana, where are you?!"

A few pilgrims look at me curiously, others recognise me as the imperial princess. But most of them ignore me as they chatter excitingly with their friends and family. Finally, I reach the city's gates and stop just before them. I notice a small stool on the ground, possibly belonging to one of the guards. I stand the stool properly and bring myself on top of it and look at the crowd below me for a familiar tuft of orange hair.

 _There's too many people…_

I helplessly watch the crowd passing through the gates until they are all outside of the city.

 _Maybe she was at the front? But no, the priestesses were walking at the front. Or maybe she was run over by a horse!_

I bring my hands into my face as I hold back the wave of despair.

 _No, I can't think so negatively! I… I can still find her!_

I start running after the crowd, but then I stop a few metres past the gate as I realise that I haven't prepared myself for a long journey. I fall to my hands and knees as tears begin streaming down my face and onto the grass below.

 _I don't deserve her forgiveness… I don't deserve_ her _!_ _She was always there for me, and all I did in return was accuse her of being selfish. No…_ I'm _the selfish one. I wanted Seliph, I wanted power, and all the while, I wanted Lana to keep her attention focused on me. I deserve a bitter, lonely life…_

I wipe the tears on my face and stand up.

"I'm so, so sorry, Lana." I speak towards the direction of the pilgrims, hoping that my words would at least soothe Lana through the divine power of Naga. "You are the best friend I've ever had, and I ruined everything between us. I'll wait for you, Lana. Even until the end of time…"

"Wait for me for what?" A scared voice speaks from behind me.

I turn around quickly, and I see Lana coming to a stop some distance away from me. Her eyes are puffy red, and in one hand, she holds a suitcase. In the other hand, she's holding a moderate red and white handkerchief with the design of a purple flower on the corner.

The handkerchief catches me off guard, and I momentarily forget the conversation.

"Mother's handkerchief?!" The shock in my voice makes Lana flinch.

Once, Lana had been cut by an enemy's sword while on the front lines. In my panic to help her, I had wrapped the handkerchief my mother had given me as a gift on my birthday around the wound to stop Lana from bleeding dry until I could get her proper medical attention. I haven't seen the handkerchief since, and I didn't want to ask Lana about it out of fear that she would take it to heart and forever regret losing it. She was sensitive like that…

Lana looks at her hand, and she speaks fearfully.

"J-Julia, i-it's not what it l-looks like!"

She pauses for a few seconds, and when she realises that I'm not going to interrupt her like I usually do, she proceeds to 'explain' herself.

"I-I was going to return it I s-swear! But it's stained with m-my blood, a-and I thought that I c-could find something to h-help me wash it off. That's w-why I went back and brought it."

Lana stutters so much that I get the urge to break my own neck for scarring her so badly.

 _I just need to lighten the mood a little…_

I decide to start giggling. Lana didn't take that very well by the look on her face.

"You mean… You delayed your pilgrimage…for a _handkerchief_?!" I say with mock amusement.

"D-Don't tease me! I thought this meant a lot to you…" Lana's voice is hinted with embarrassment and regret. "If you're just going to make fun of me more, please… Leave me alone…"

Lana tries to lower her head to cry, but I move towards her and pick her back up by the chin. Now that I was closer, I could see that the whites of Lana's eyes are tinged with red too. I feel my heart wrenching in the horror that I am responsible for.

"No…" I speak softly. "I'm not here to tease you. I'm here to apologise. I take back all of the nasty things I said to you, Lana. You are the most wonderful and the purest person I know, and anyone who speaks ill of you should have their eyes gouged out, because they aren't worthy to even look at you."

Lana looks absolutely flabbergasted. Her mouth opens a few times to speak some words, and none come out.

"Listen carefully, Lana. I will do _anything_ on this gods-forsaken land to receive your forgiveness. If you want power, I'll conquer the entire world for you. If you want a house, I'll build you a palace with my bare hands. Just tell me what you want, and I swear on Saint Heim's grave that I will do it!" I talk to Lana with such intensity that I find myself puffing at the end.

Lana only looks at me with wanting eyes, and I know that she's not interest in power or money.

"I just…" She speaks finally. "I just want my friend back, Julia…"

As Lana says those words and continues to look at me, I find an instinct inside of myself that I haven't felt since I was with Seliph.

"That's the other thing, Lana… I can't be friends with you any longer."

Lana's expression quickly becomes guarded.

"But you just said-"

I cut her off with a hand on her lips.

"I know what I just said, but you should let me finish."

I move my hand away, and I inch my face slightly closer to hers.

"I can't be friends with you, Lana, because I love you. Simply being your 'friend' would never satisfy me, and I'm afraid that while I am _truly_ apologetic for the way I treated you before, I want to be with you now, so I can make sure that I never repeat my mistakes again."

Before Lana has a chance to reply, I close the gap between us and I kiss her on the lips. She reacts with such a forceful kiss back that she almost knocks us both off-balance.

 _This is her first kiss…_

We both break off the kiss as we regain our balance again. She looks embarrassingly towards the ground. Her face was redder than a ripe tomato, and I giggle a little bit at the sight. That catches her attention, and she looks back to me with a love-sick smile.

"I-I ruined the moment, didn't I?..." She speaks wistfully.

"Not at all, Lana." I comfort her as I put my hands on her hips. "Practice makes perfect, and I'm _intent_ on making you perfect."

Lana's face seems to go even redder at the intention of my words.

"But… You're the imperial princess! Isn't the punishment for f-forbidden love…beheading?" She whimpers.

I only pull her a little closer, beginning to feel my lust takeover my mind. But I know that I owe Lana a proper explanation.

"Not anymore. I believe that today is Erasmus Day, is it not? Which means that Seliph's same-sex law is in effect. Which means-"

She returns my giggles and plants her lips on mine once again. Her hands drift to my face; her touch giving me pins and needles.

"Can…we go…somewhere…more…private…?" Lana bursts in between kisses.

It takes me a moment to register what Lana just said.

 _Maybe she's not so innocent after all._

The thought amuses me slightly.

"I thought…you'd never…ask…" I reply hungrily.


	4. Epilogue

Seliph is lying down on a hill top just a little distance away from Belhalla. He looks up at the stars above, and can't believe his luck; the sky is cloudless, the night is neither hot or cold, and the grass beneath him feels as comfortable as a duck-feathered pillow. All of this makes the wait a little more bearable. After a few more minutes, a young lady's voice forces Seliph to sit up.

"Hey, handsome." Her voice said seductively.

Seliph turns his head towards the voice, and his jaw almost drops to the floor.

"L-Larcei?!"

Larcei stands a few metres away from Seliph. The torch in her right hand illuminates her violet eyes and sable-black dress. His eyes drift further down her figure, and he notices a very prominent slit in Larcei's dress that travels from her left hip to the end of the dress; her entire left leg is showing. As Seliph looks closer, he seems to make out-

"My eyes are up here, Seliph." She teases him playfully.

Seliph immediately looks back up to her face and attempts to mutter an apology, but no words come out. Larcei's giggles only seem to fuel the heat rising in Seliph's face.

She stabs the torch into the ground nearby. The flames flickering on her eyes as she does so only makes her look fiercer, and Seliph got the feeling that he isn't going to be the one to decide how this night will play out.

"So, tell me. What's the latest news on Lana and Julia?" Larcei asks as she secures the torch in the ground.

Seliph had completely forgotten about the pair, but he quickly gets himself together.

"J-Julia managed to catch up to Lana before she left. They both made up for their mistakes…"

He has a feeling that that wasn't the only thing they did, but his sister's love life is none of Seliph's business.

"After quickly packing her stuff, Julia left with Lana to go on the pilgrimage." Seliph continues. "I think that they would have caught up with the other pilgrims, judging by their eagerness alone."

That gets a small chuckle out of Larcei, who's now finished securing their only source of light.

"I'm glad that those two girls got their happy ending…" Larcei looks at Seliph straight in the eyes. "And now, I think it's time for ours, too."

The playful attitude is back in Larcei's stride. She walks slowly towards Seliph and pushes him towards the ground. Seliph gulps loudly as she sits across his abdomen, the dress threatening to rip apart from the slit at her waist.

"Be a dear, Seliph, and try not to scream too loud." Larcei leans down towards Seliph and whispers in his ear. "We wouldn't want a nosy villager interrupting our _special_ time together."

It takes all of his willpower to not squeal as Larcei teases him further.

"Y-Yes ma'am…" Seliph squeaks.

Larcei only grins as she lowers her cherry-red lips to Seliph's neck.


End file.
